San Diego Padres player scapegoats: 1 to trade, 1 to have patience with, and 1 to DFA

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Things have not gone as planned this season through the first three months of the 2023 campaign for the San Diego Padres. They are in fourth place in the National League West and fading fast in the Wild Card race too.

Almost a year since adding Juan Soto in a trade and signing Xander Bogaerts in free agency, the team with the third-highest payroll in baseball just can find any consistency and put together a winning streak to get back in the races. With their place in the standings, it's getting to be crunch time for the Friars with the trade deadline a month away.

Whether or not they get back into the races for the postseason, there are plenty of scapegoats for the Padres in 2023. He is one scapegoat to trade, one to have patience with, and one to DFA.

San Diego Padres player scapegoat: patience with Matt Carpenter

It's safe to say that things have not gone the way San Diego or Matt Carpenter hoped it would when he signed a two-year, $12 million contract last December. Signed primarily to DH from the left side against right-handed pitching, he has struggled.

In 58 games this season, he's slashing .182/.311/.331 with four home runs, and 26 RBI in 148 plate appearances. Carpenter has slowly lost at-bats this season to Rougned Odor from the left side of the plate ... which poses the question, why are they still keeping him on the roster for $6 million this season?

Despite being 37 years old, Carpenter is still a valuable veteran off the bench. In 11 fewer games last season for the New York Yankees, he had 15 home runs and 37 RBI before an injury cut his season short. He still has pop in his bat and is someone that can still be a valuable piece to this team.

Is he the same player he was with the St. Louis Cardinals in his prime? No, of course not. However, he still brings veteran leadership to a team that is struggling and is a left-handed bat that can add pop to a lineup that is needed. San Diego needs to wait for him with some patience.

San Diego Padres v Pittsburgh Pirates / Lauren Leigh Bacho/GettyImages

San Diego Padres player scapegoat: trade Blake Snell

Let's be honest, the 2023 season has not been all that bad for Blake Snell. It really hasn't. If he got consistent run support, his 4-7 record would be better than it is.

In 16 starts, he has a 3.21 ERA in 87 innings pitched with 114 strikeouts, a number he's on pace to top from last season when he had 171 in 24 starts. in his last start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, the 30-year-old did his job, working six innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs. He suffered the loss, but Nick Martinez did him no favors in relief allowing four hits and five earned runs in the seventh inning of a 7-1 loss in the middle game of a three-game series where the Friars suffered a disappointing sweep.

His time in San Diego has been up and down as he has finished over .500 just once, going 7-6 in 2021, his first year with the Padres. He's on pace for a second straight below .500 season, but his numbers actually are those of a pitcher who could have and should have a winning record on this team.

A free agent after this season, Snell is someone who could garner interest at the trade deadline and could get the Padres a decent return. It's beginning to look like they are going to be sellers at the deadline and if there's one thing this team is showing the front office, running it back with the same roster next season is not an option. Sell on Snell and move him.

Cleveland Guardians v San Diego Padres / Orlando Ramirez/GettyImages

San Diego Padres player scapegoat: DFA Nelson Cruz

The thinking was good by A.J. Preller, bringing in a right-handed veteran bat to add to the strong lineup. Unfortunately, it just has not worked out for Nelson Cruz and the Padres.

Primarily a DH against left-handers, Cruz has struggled to slash .250/.291/.417, but that's just over 45 games. He has five homers and 23 RBI, but San Diego would be better giving his at-bats to Gary Sanchez who has been a surprising good addition this season and found his offensive game.

Signed in late May, Sanchez has added a bit of jolt to the lineup with seven home runs and 20 RBI in 91 at-bats. His slash line is .198/.275/.451, but he also adds depth behind the plate to give Austin Nola some time off.

I understand the thinking of signing Cruz. He had good power to all fields when he was in his prime, but his numbers have slowly gone down after hitting 41 long balls with the Minnesota Twins in 2019. At 42 years old, it's not surprising to see his numbers go down, but half a season is enough for the Padres to cut ties and move on.

Aside from the New York Mets, the Padres are one of baseball's biggest disappointments in 2023. The loaded roster is slipping and slipping fast out of contention. At this point, making moves to shake things up might be their only chance at turning things around. That would mean using a couple of scapegoats to send a message to a locker room that is clearly frustrated.

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